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Teaching
about Native Americans in the Classroom
When
you think about Native American Indians, do you see a people who have
gone into obscurity, only to be remembered as mere footnotes in the
historical texts of this nation? Do you see them as characters
created by the immigrant community of this new nation that have now
become mere entertaining stories or folklore? Or do you view them
as a people conquered by a superior nation, who were considered too
dangerous to the well being of the new country that was being formed?
Most
Americans view the contributions of the American Indian as related only
to the First Thanksgiving, or by what the media has portrayed to them
through Hollywood movies and "Made for TV" programs.
We
as parents, along with School administrators, teachers and all
educational institutions should know that contributions from Native
American Indians have shaped the modern American society
that we know today.
We
as Native Americans still live very much in this 21st century
and will live on through our children, their children and their
childrens children. We are Teachers, Lawyers, Senators,
Architects, Businessmen, and we are your neighbors. No longer can
we allow modern society to teach our children that Native Americans are
a people of the past. We are people who have survived, and are
still a part of the fabric of America.
Teachers,
we implore you to shed all stereotyping of Native Americans, both in the
classroom and outside the school grounds. Native people never mock
any culture, religion, or group of others, make crude copies of any
articles of clothing from paper goods, and we should be treated no
differently. Never forget that there may be Native Americans in
your classroom, and always be mindful of showing respect to all
regardless of their ethnic background. As human beings, we should
reflect on the positive attributes of any race or ethnic culture.
Our children will thank you for it.
Where
can I find teaching materials?
Native
Child has gathered helpful information to give you the tools for
evaluating books, curriculum material and videos that are currently
published and offered covering the topic. These resources can be
used as guidelines in selecting culturally appropriate material.
The
staff at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill wrote a very
helpful article for the purpose of teaching
for inclusion.
The
Teacher's
Corner at UnderstandingPrejudice.org offers several tips on how to
teach more effectively about Native Americans.
Tolerance.org
offers easy-to-use activities that can be implemented directly or
adapted for classroom needs. Subjects include Thanksgiving,
Makah
whaling tradition, Native
American Heritage Month, anti-Navajo
violence, forced
removal, Native
American activists and the Native
American rights movement.
Cradleboard.org provides curriculum
supplements and classroom
activities organized by age groups.
Are you teaching the true Thanksgiving
story or is the version you're passing on to your students a blend of
fact and myth? Education
World helps you set the record straight.
Oyate's
work includes evaluation of texts, resource materials and fiction by and
about Native peoples; conducting of teacher workshops, in which
participants learn to evaluate children's material for anti-Indian
biases; administration of a small resource center and library; and
distribution of children's, young adult, and teacher books and
materials, with an emphasis on writing and illustration by Native
people.
FourDirectionsTeachings.com
is a visually stunning audio narrated resource for learning about
Indigenous knowledge and philosophy from five diverse First Nations in
Canada.
On the Internet
School Library Media Center's Native
American page you will find bibliographies, directories to pages of
individual tribes, history and historical documents, periodicals and
general links.
Here
you will find a list of links to materials for teachers and librarians.
This
page has an extensive list of links for various Native American
educational resources.
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